Gunshots Break Out At Opening Day Of Six Flags, Atlanta

Chaos erupted in Atlanta, Georgia yesterday during the opening day festivities of Six Flags Over Georgia. Fights reportedly broke out all over the park, causing police to have to clear out the entire amusement park.

Police reportedly engaged and shot a 15-year-old boy during the chaos, leading to further problems maintaining the order of the crowd. Police allege that a member of the crowd fired at them, and when returning fire, they struck the 15-year-old.

The boy is reportedly in critical condition. Authorities assert that a gun was recovered near the child. Below is a summary of the chaos on opening day of Six Flags over Georgia yesterday,

• Police responded to the park to aid security as widespread fights led to a deteriorating scene at Six Flags: Videos posted to social media showed some of the fights, appearing to occur between groups of teens, and young people scattering throughout the park as it began to be cleared out. It’s unclear exactly how many different fights broke out, or if there was any specific reason so many appeared to occur simultaneously. 
• According to Cobb County Police, officers responded around 6:15 p.m. with a crowd of 500-600 “running through the park and fighting”: It was at this point that the park was cleared out. Six Flags noted that what followed happened off park property near South Service Road.
• According to the GBI, at this point “multiple people began shooting”: The bureau said an unoccupied Cobb Police patrol car was hit. “As officers identified where the shots were coming from, they ran after people who had run into the woods,” the GBI said.
• An officer “fired his weapon, hitting one minor” the GBI said: That 15-year-old was taken to Grady Hospital in critical condition.
• 15-year-old’s condition: 11Alive reached the Cobb County Police Department early Monday morning, and they responded around 5:30 a.m. that they did not have any update regarding his condition. He has not been identified.
• What we know and don’t know about the teen’s alleged involvement in the gunfire: The GBI said a handgun was recovered near the teen. Neither the bureau nor Cobb Police to this point have alleged that they know whether or not the teen actually fired the weapon.
• The GBI continues to investigate: Further updates are expected later Monday.
• What Six Flags said: “It is incredibly disappointing that our community is disrupted at public events throughout the region by groups of underaged youth,” a Six Flags statement said. It added that “we join our community and the Atlanta region in our commitment to safety and security. We won’t put up with that type of activity here.” More of that statement is available in this story.
• What Six Flags guests said the next day: They described calm and sparse crowds at the park on Sunday. “I did see a little more security people than normal, but it wasn’t alarming,” one guest, Barbara Goss, said. “It did seem a little more empty than usual, but, ultimately, I felt safe,” another guest, Jaz Cowan, said.

Video of the chaos was captured by some at the park. See video of that moment below,

Fight breaks out at Six Flags in Atlanta on opening day pic.twitter.com/BDe9RV64p7

— Slingshot News (@NewsSlingshot) March 4, 2024

READ MORE: Colorado Sec. of State Jena Griswold Reacts To Supreme Court Ballot Ruling